The late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacquahas been accused by a woman of molesting her when she was a child. The cardinal had a long history serving in Pennsylvania, first as Bishop of Pittsburgh and then as Archbishop, and later Cardinal, of Philadelphia. He died in 2012.

Often, the most prestigious and powerful are among the last to be exposed as wrongdoers. Many times, survivors of prominent clerics are reluctant to come forward, fearing they won't be believed.

We have no first-hand information about the allegations. However, studies have shown that false allegations of sexual abuse are extremely rare.

Anyone with information about criminal behavior, including allegations against high ranking Church officials like Cardinal Bevilacqua, should report to law enforcement. Those who have been abused can also reach out to groups like ours for help and support.

The Pennsylvania Hotline continues to take calls: 855-363-6548

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been working for thirty years to support victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings and has more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)